Bergh



No. 609,85I.

Patented Aug. 30. |898. H. VAN HEVENBERGH.

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTION.

(Application led Oct. 10, 1895. Renewed June 23, 1898.)

6 Sheets-Sheet I.

(N0 Model.)

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No. 609,85I. Patented Aug. 30, |898. H. VAN HOEVENBERGH.

ELECTRIC LOCOMUTIDN.

(pplication led Oct. 10, 1895. Renewed June 23, 1898.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

INVENTOR: Eezzrg V, loevezzerg/z By /zz's Atzorney rug Nonms Evans co,Pmrouwm wAsHmaToN. o. c.

No. 609,85I. Patented Aug. 30, |898. H. VAN HOEVENBERGH.

ELECTRIC LOCDMOTION.

(Application Med Oct. 10, 1895. Renewed June 23, 1898.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(N0 Model.)

I N V E NT O R I Henry Viz/z laeve/z erg/z WITNESSES:

me Hemus PETERS co., Fnm'mJTNa.4 wAsm ELECTRIC LUGUMOTIUN.

(Application filed Oct. 10, 1895. Renewed June 28, 1898.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(N0 Model.)

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N0. 609,85l. Patented Aug. 30, |898.

H. VAN HEVE'NBERGH.

ELECTRIC LOGUMOTIDN.

(Application led Oct. 10, 1895. Rex-mwe June 23, 1898.0 (No Model.) 6Sheets-#Sheet 5- WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

atented Aug. 3U, i898.

- H. VAN HuEvENBEnGH.

:Lacrmc Locomormn.

(Application led Oct. 10, 1895. Regewed June 23, 1898.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

(N0 Model.)

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WITNESSES: MM? //afyd cmu: Pzrsns co. voro-urna., wAsnmoroN, D c.

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UNITED 4 STATES 'l .HENRY VAN IIOEVENBERGH, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORTO NOAH Of '-'SPATENT OFFICE.

ROGERS, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,851, dated August30, 1898. Application filed October l0, 1895. Renewed .Tune 23, 1898.Serial No. 684,309. (No inoflel.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY VAN l-IOEVEN- BERGH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of New York, in the county and State of New York,have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in ElectricLocomotion,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric locomotion, the general object beingto permit vehicles running in the same or opposite directions along aroadway to derive their propelling energy from the same supply conductoror conductors.

In carrying out my inventionr I construct the trolleys orcurrent-collectors in such a manner that when two of themapproach one ofthem will be automatically lifted on top of the other by the tractivepower of the vehicle, the forward and rear ends of the trolleys beingprovided with sloping walls to facilitate this result. I preferablyprovide a conduit in which the `trolleys run, open underneath, forming alongitudinal slot the length of the road, the slot edges being providedwith rails formed by iianges on the walls of the conduit, thusfurnishing a track for the trolleys. The side walls of the conduit maybe formed of sheet metal, the two being insulated from one another andconnected at suitable intervals on long roads with feeders leading to asource of electric energy.

The several features of novelty of the invention will be moreparticularly hereinafter described and will be definitely indicated inthe claims appended to this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, which' illustrate the invention, Figure lis a top plan, with the top or cover removed, of a trolley or currentcollector embodying my improvements, showing also the conduit-walls.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal median section on a plane indicated by the lineo; .'r, Fig. l, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 3is a view of the trolley similar to Fig. 1, the collector-wheels beingfolded within the body to permit withdrawal of the trolley from theconduit. trolley. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of a conduit and trolley.Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the conduit, showing two passing trolleysin front elevation. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail Fig. 4 is a bottom planview of the views showing the conductors leading from the trolley to thevehicle and the mode of connecting with the trolley. Fig. 9 is a topplan view of two passing trolleys. Figs. l0, 1l, l2, and 13 aresectional views showing the manner in which two trolleys and theirconductor connections with the vehicle pass by one another. Fig. le is aside elevation of a motor-driven vehicle and a trolley connectingit withthe supply-conduit.

Referring to the drawings, l and 2 represent two walls of sheet metalfirmly supported by yokes 3, (see Figs. 5, 6, and 10,) placedsufficiently close together and suitably braced to produce a lirmstructure. The yokes may be made of wood saturated with paraffin orother suitable insulating compound, or may be made of metal wellinsulated fromthe conduit-walls. Eyebolts d permit the conduit to behung from span-wires or pole-brackets. The conduit may be supported overany part of the roadway, preferably one side. The lconduit is providedwith alwide slot at the bottom, the side walls being simply providedwith inwardly-turning flanges 5 5, forming corners, against which thewheels of the trolleys may bear. The entire side Wall is thus capable ofguiding the trolley and supplying it with current. The bodies of thetrolleys are formed of hollow boxes wedge-shaped at the ends, the twoends sloping away from the base in parallel directions. The overhangingend is preferably shod with rollers mounted in sockets, so that they maylie almost flush with the surface of the box.` -The shape of thetrolley-body in plan is shown in Fig. l and in elevation in Fig. 2.Openings 6 7 and 7 are formed in the sides, through which projectpivoted arms 8 8 9 9f,shod with wheels to roll in the corner of theconduit formed by the side wall and iiange.` The arms are mounted onspindles journaled in the top and bottom of the box. A coil-spring,asseen in the drawings, tends to throw the arms Aout through theopenings 6 7 and thus retain the trolley in the conduit.

For the purpose of removing the trolley a sliding-rod 10, provided withmeans for .shifting it, as an eccentric ll, is mounted in such aposition that when moved by a key inserted in aV square socket the rodwill be shifted and IOO disks or heads on its ends will engageprojecting studs 12 122L 13 13' on the arms andV fold the latter inagainst the tension of the springs, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Extending across the bottom of the trolley box or frame is a slot 14,through which extend two conductors l15 15, inclosed in a jacket 16 ofinsulating material to avoid short circuits when two trolleys pass. Theconductors are separated by a web of insulating material 17. They areprovided with flanges 18 18, which are housed under a cover or yoke 19,fixed to the trolley-frame and adapted to permit the conductors to slidein the slot 14. The conductors are provided at the top withbindingscrews electrically connected with the pairs of trolley-wheels onopposite sides of the trolley, as seen in Fig. 1. From the lower ends ofthe conductors 15 15a is supported a hemp or othercable 20, upon whichis supported the conductors 21 22, leading to the motorcarriage 23. (SeeFigs. 7, 8, and 14.) The bottom of each trolley is provided with aplurality of rollers on each side, which facilifates the transit of onetrolley over the other, as seen in Figs. 2 and 6, and one or morerollers may be secured in eachend near the point formed by the junctionof the two sides. The operation of my invention will now be understood.By the insertion of a squared key into the socket 12 the arms 8 9 8a 9may be folded within the trolley-frame and the latter introduced into orwithdrawn from the conduit. Upon release of the key the springs lock thewheels in the corners of the conduit. A suitable controller and switchapparatus is mounted on the carriage, by which current may be admittedto the motor and varied in strength or out off at pleasure. As suchorganizations are well-understood articlesV of commerce, no furtherreference need be made to them here. The trolleys are placed in theconduit with similar ends facing in the same direction, as seen in Figs.11, 12, and 13. The manner in which the two trolleys pass is clearlyshown in Figs. 6 and l2, whether the vehicles be moving in the sameoropposite directions. In passing the vehicles may turn to oppositesides of the road, or the one having the right of way may remain in itscourse, the other being turned to the side of the road by the driveroperating any suitable steering device. The conductors 15 15;L are thusdrawn to one extreme of the slot in the trolley corresponding to thecarriage which turns aside, as best seen in Fig. 9, thus bringing theconductors 15 15a on a line between the wall of the conduit and thecurved tip -of the arms 8 8% when the cable draws them past thetrolley-wheels by forcing the latter to fold into their recesses in thebox. This action is to pass.

clearly depictedin Figs. 6, 9, l2, and '13. The springs connecting'thearms which carry the collector-wheels are stretched in this action andcause the wheels on the outside to bear 'hard against the wall of theconduit. The

trolleys thus pass one over the other, the conductors of the overrunningtrolley forcing the arms of the lower one inwardly to permit it Thisaction takes place whether the vehicles are moving in the same oropposite directions, as will be seen upon comparison of Figs. 1 and 12.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A system of electric locomotion comprising a supplyconductorextending along a roadway, and a series of trolleys supported thereonfor leading current to road-vehicles, said trolleys being provided withsloping frames to permit transit over one another and a flexibleconductor connected with a traveling vehicle whereby the trolleys mayrest by gravity on the supply-conductors.

2; A system of electric locomotion comprising a supplyconductorextending along a roadway, and a series of current-collecting trolleyssupported thereon, the trolley-frames being provided with front and rearextensions sloping in parallel directions from the base and a exibleconductor connected with a traveling vehicle whereby the trolleys mayrest by gravity on the supply-conductors.

3. A system of electric locomotion comprising a slotted conduitextending along a roadway, said conduit having a metallic inner verticalwall electrically connected with the source of current,a series ofcurrent-collecting trolleys having folding arms bearing against themetallic wall,and conductors leading from the trolleys to road-vehicles.

4. A trolleyhavingspring-pressed contacts, and conductors for connectingwith a vehicle, the conductors being mounted on the frame by alaterally-movable connection.

5. A system of electric locomotion comprising a slotted overhead conduitextending along the side of the roadway, trolleys or current-collectorshaving folding arms, and movable connections between the trolley andconductor so organized as to permit two trolleys to pass each other onthe sameset of conductors, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day ofSeptember, A. D. 1895.

HENRY VAN HOEVEN BERGIAI.

Vitnesses:

BENJAMIN S. POND, W. S. BROWN.

IOO

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